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The Pastor's Pen
Rev. Mary Jo Dean “Gracious Plenty” “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God with prayer.” (I Tim 4:4-5) Working with the Anniversary Committee caused me to reread Paul’s first Letter to Timothy, and reading Timothy caused me to remember something from my youth. You see, when I first read that verse, I thought it was dumb. It will not surprise anyone reading that I said so. “So Mom, get this: ‘Nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving?’ How am I supposed to thank God for that dumb bee that stung me or thank God for my broken toe? I’m supposed to thank God when people get mad or hurt or die? That doesn’t make any sense.” Poor Paula. But as usual, she fended me off. “Mary Jo, maybe it’s not about what happens. It’s how you manage to handle what happens, as in learn from it or be glad it wasn’t worse? MomMom and Todd are allergic to bee stings, you’re not so far. You broke your toe when you tripped, but it could have been your ankle or your neck. Give thanks for that.” Admittedly, brown eyes rolled. Mine is more or less the same question that Ann Voskamp asks in her 2011 book “One Thousand Gifts.” This is the month of American Thanksgiving. I wonder if I, and we, could notice and be thankful enough for the things in our lives that are truly gifts to list them on a notebook page, or a computer app? Just a word or two to remind your heart to smile. There are 30 days in the month of November. Recording 30 gifts a day is a lot to start with, but, try noticing at least 3 things every day that are useful, beautiful, or bring you joy, that you are grateful for, and write them down. Once you do jot it down, look for something else to be grateful for the next day. No repeats. It may help to pick a prayer partner, but it might also be more comfortable to do this on your own. In any case, thank God directly, and go on with you day. Sometime on Wednesdays throughout the month of November, look at your list so far. Do you notice any patterns? Keep going until at least Thanksgiving Day! Do you notice any changes to your mood or energy level? Do you notice if you are talking to God more, or feeling closer to God or others in your life? It may sound like a lot of work. Yet, most helpful things are. But being thankful feels good and saying thanks is free. So? What is there to lose? At worst, you’ll have some answers to share when someone at the table on Thanksgiving asks you “For what you are thankful?” |